The 2010 Olympics were great. I really got involved in sports that I have never watched before such as the Skeleton and Curling. Since I have begun my internet marketing business, I have been blogging like crazy and that has pushed me to research and read about new and exciting things. I never thought I would have anything to say about the Norwegians and their crazy pants , but I found myself writing about them and then joining their Facebook fanpage!

One thing I have always wondered about but never had the motivation to look up is how the host city is chosen for the Olympics. Of all the cities around the world, how do they choose one? So, I started researching and this is what I found.

Any city that feels they have what it takes to host the Olympics can apply to the International Olympic commission (IOC).  The IOC will then investigate that city over the next ten months.  They will look for things such as:

1. The city must prove that it is big enough to handle Olymp ic games and the huge number of tourists, athletes, journalists and politicians. They must be able to host the games in new stadiums and must be able to house all the people in hotels and provide transportation. They must also be able to provide adequate security.

2. The residents of that city must be convinced that the expenses of covering the Olympics are worth it. The city may raise taxes in order to  cover this endeavor.

3. The media coverage in that city must be highly positive.

If the IOC decides that the city has fulfilled all three points above, it is considered a “Candidate City” and it will move on to the second phase. In this phase, the city sends in an application and fee which can cost up to $150,000. If a city is chosen to host the Olympics, it is a great honor. The city not only is able to show pride for their city and country, they are in the international spotlight and they have the opportunity to bring new jobs to the community and build up tourism.

The 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in London from July 27 through August 12, 2012.  They will be the first city to host the Olympic games three times (it was previously held there in 1908 and 1948).   Applications were submitted in July of 2003 and there were nine cities that submitted bids. These cities were Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

By July of 2005 it was narrowed down to Paris and London. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes, defeating Paris’s 52. Various French publications blamed the Paris loss on French President Jacques Chirac‘s statements before the vote that “We can’t trust people [the British] who have such bad food. After Finland, it’s the country with the worst food.” Two current members of the IOC are from Finland!

Tonight, Friday, Feb. 12, with seven years of planning in the rear view mirror, the lights will dim inside Vancouver’s BC Place. Nearly 55,000 people in attendance, and hundreds of millions more watching on televisions around the world, will wait eagerly in anticipation. What can we expect from the first Opening Ceremony to be held indoors? That is any one’s guess! Despite 4,000 volunteers, the Ceremony is still a secret.

“Officials promise that the performance will unite passionate Canadians, thrill the world’s best winter athletes and bring hope to the world over,” said John Furlong, the head of Vancouver’s organizing committee in an NBC interview.  “The Opening Ceremony is our biggest chance to speak to a global audience and tell the story of a contemporary Canada that will inspire the world.”

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will join the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, and Furlong. Each will have an opportunity to speak, thus beginning the Opening Ceremony.

Traditionally, the world’s best winter athletes will then enter to greet a roaring crowd during the parade of nations. Many veteran Olympians say that nothing replaces this feeling. Then,one athlete from each country will be honored as the flag bearer. Each delegation will  enter in alphabetical order, with two exceptions. Greece, by tradition, always enters first and the host country, Canada, will enter last.

Each contingent will be dressed in its official uniform. Only those athletes participating in the Games, and no more than six officials, are permitted to march.

Another important aspect of the Opening Ceremony is the Olympic Oath, which will be taken by one athlete and one official.

To the strains of the Olympic hymn, the Olympic flag will be brought into the stadium and raised. Anticipation will be building once again for a tradition that first started in 1936 during the Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – the lighting of the Olympic flame.

2010 Olympic Torch

Who will light the flame? After more than 100 days of criss-crossing Canada, the Olympic torch will arrive inside the stadium. Typically the torch will then pass to several people in a relay before it’s taken to the cauldron. Only three people are thought to know who will perform the honorable task of lighting the flame.

As you see, we are in for an amazing night of entertainment and awe. Tune in tonight as the world comes together in the 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremonies.